Supervisory guidance on the Provision of Basic Payment Accounts

5 August 2026

Banca d'Italia invites (Communication only in Italian) banks, Poste Italiane and other payment service providers (collectively, "PSPs") to promote awareness and greater availability of the basic account among consumers and to facilitate access to it, particularly for more vulnerable customers.

Analyses conducted by Banca d'Italia have shown that access to this product is sometimes unjustifiably hindered or discouraged.

The communication therefore calls on PSPs to adopt practices that comply with the applicable regulatory framework and are guided by principles of substantive fairness in customer relationships. It also requests that they review and amend their rules, procedures and practices in order to remove any obstacles to the offering of, and access to, the basic account.

The basic account is a current or payment account designed to promote financial inclusion. It was introduced by Directive 2014/92/EU to ensure access to essential payment services. It is intended to meet simple day-to-day money management needs and provides a range of transactions and services that is generally more limited than that offered by similar products.

The law grants consumers legally residing in the European Union the right to obtain a basic account. For lower-income groups, the account is provided free of charge.

PSPs are required to offer the basic account, while complying with their obligations under anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing legislation.